Running Towards Free

Fave kicks - Nike 3.0 v.3

You know it's "love-at-first-run" when you cannot wait to run in them again. That's what my Nike Free 3.0 v.3's are for me, my go-to-shoe for runs up to 10 miles. I have yet to try them for distances beyond 10 miles. I'm no expert in minimalist shoes like my Nike 3.0s, but I can tell you that I love feeling closer to the ground, how very flexible the soles are, and how much "faster" and free I feel running in them.
But this is not a shoe review. No. Just a post about a run that I couldn't wait to do, in my favorite running shoes on a slightly warmer day. I had 4 miles on my training calendar, and I think my expectations were high starting out on this run until I started moving. I. Felt. So. Sluggish. My first mile split says it all - 12:08 min./mile. (Daily Mile run details HERE). It was one of those runs where you just want to get it over with, but I knew I had to hang in there, so I plodded along feeling betrayed by my "fast," free shoes.

At Mile 1 - waiting to feel "free"

Am I feeling burned out already? From life? From training? I can't be! No! So I push on, stopping to take a quick pic, deciding to take it easy, just to get the miles in. (But how I long to be free).

To keep my mind off of this sluggish run, I thought about how nice it would be to run to a gorgeous view. While you can't get much scenery in suburbia, I remembered a little trail that made you forget you live in a culdesac world. So I ran to that, hoping to find my free. I got distracted by what I thought at first was a pretty cool looking thing on the ground, only to realize that what I was looking at was the remains of a doe? A deer? And where its eyes used to be. Ugh. I don't know why I thought it was something else, but then this IS suburbia!

After leaving that awful discovery, I turned and ran to where the little trail was, but stopped at the top of the hill. I was alone, and while I longed to lose myself down in that little trail....to feel the wide open-ness of the field...and trace the meandering little trail, so I can forget the monotony of my suburban life, I didn't feel safe....

...which was more disappointing than feeling sluggish at the start of my run. I've run that little trail before, but only with friends, and I wasn't about to chance it, running down there tucked below the hill, completely out of sight.

So I stopped to just look out at that little trail with my back towards the cookie cutter landscape....imagining that I was somewhere else for a few minutes. It is so peaceful down there on that little trail. Sigh.

When I was ready, I turned around to run back to my cookie-cutter world, to my routine, to my boys with fighting, angry, whining words, and ran home happy towards free.

(Imagine my surprise after I uploaded my run to Garmin Connect and saw that I got a negative split!)

Janathon Day 10

Moon Joggers Mileage To Date: 29

Plank A Day: 2:11.8 

Wall Sit: 1:33.2

Posted with Blogsy

Virginia Is For Lovers 14K Race Recap

Finally, my first Race Recap for 2012! I'm notorious for not posting race recaps or for posting them super late. I figured I'd get this one done before my Rock N Roll USA half this Saturday TODAY. So, here it is...

The BLING!  That small dangling heart can be removed & worn as a charm for bracelet/necklace!

  
Virginia Is For Lovers 14K, Virginia Beach, VA, February 11, 2012.
The Hubs and I have been wanting to run a race together and what better race to run together than this one for Valentine's Day! VIFL 14K fit in really nicely in my half marathon training schedule for Rock 'N Roll USA in DC in March. I had to do 9 miles that weekend and with this race being around 8.7 miles, it was perfect! The Hubs and I signed up, and I was ecstatic beyond a runner's high because finally we are going to run together, at my pace, AND finish TOGETHER. Can we get any more Valentiney than this?! I think not.

Foot cozy-ing up to Cryo Freeze

Prologue. Two weeks before this race I did a long run of 8 miles in a blazing (blazing for me) 10:38 min/ mile pace on a hilly route. That 8-miler was followed by two awesome 5-milers that following week, sealing that feeling that I finally got my running mojo back after a not-so-stellar couple weeks of running. My next long run after that, a week before the race, was a 10k on some freakishly hilly route near a friend's house. I was struggling at that 10:35 min/mile pace, but it felt good in the end. Two days later, though, WHAM! PF! Plantar fasciitis. Then, Little Man got the stomach bug. It was not looking good. Spirits were at an all time low, as I had to skip all my runs and all workouts that week. After icing like a mofo that week of the race, and lots of rest for Little Man and me, everything started to come together, and we were finally on our way to Virginia Beach.

 Love the swag!  My favorite running jacket.

Packet Pickup. We got to packet pickup just in time with an hour to spare. It was the smoothest and fastest race packet pick up ever. Kudos to J&A Racing for that and for the awesome running jacket, my favorite race swag so far! There weren't a whole lot of vendors there other than a few tables advertising other races, a local running store selling discounted running gear, and that's pretty much all I can remember. Can't complain too much because the boys didn't freak out and start whining at all like they did at other crowded packet pickup venues. There is definitely a huge advantage to coming to race expos at the very end.

Sleep. One day I will learn to shut my mind off and actually get a decent amount of sleep before a race. Period.

Race Morning. When my alarm went off, as usual, I wondered, "did I sleep?" We got ready, and as we were getting breakfast, we hear our boys waking up. Seriously? Do my boys have some hidden detector that tells them Mommy is awake, so wake up?? This happens when I go early for my long runs too! So we had to help them get their breakfast while we inhaled ours, and finally we were on our way to the race. A huge thanks to my Dad for watching our boys that morning!

Hanging out with our friend "R" and The Hubs before the race

Race Start. Driving to the start line, we ended up taking a wrong turn at some point, but that wrong turn ended up saving us a TON of time, because somehow we by-passed a long line of cars waiting to get into the parking lot. Yes! We also scored on the premium parking space literally 50 feet from our corral. Double yes!

It was cold, in the mid 30s, but luckily we got to wait inside The Field House where the packet pickup was. This race scored another point for not only having a warm place to wait until the start, but also for letting us use The Field House restrooms. It was so nice to not have to use the porto-potties.

We waited for our friend "R," who ended up signing up for the race at the last minute, and we chatted away and watched other runners until it was time to go.

"Tutu Power" in the distance

Sixty-seven percent of the runners in this race were female. So we saw a lot of tutus, girl power, costumes, and tons of pink and red! There were a good number of couples there like us, and I couldn't help but feel sorry for the husbands/boyfriends who were probably made to dress up in costume by their significant other because they had this look of, "I can't wait to get this race over with so I can get out of this <insert costume name>." From a ball and chain couple to the couple who were clearly "love bugs," this race was definitely very festive. I think The Hubs was relieved that all I made him wear was a red tech shirt! We were color and gear coordinated from our BCWH dri-fit hats down to our pair of Saucony Kinvaras.

After our last restroom stop, we were ready and on our way to our corral....or so I thought.

Source

I NEEDED to go potty. Again. The lines to the porto-potties outside were looooong. There is no way, I thought. With just 15 minutes until start time, I sprinted back to The Field House to find a shorter restroom line. The Hubs thought I was crazy. As I watched my Garmin tick the minutes away while waiting in line, I was getting a little nervous. I literally had 3 minutes to get back to my corral, but I made it. The look on The Hubs face was priceless because I could tell that HE needed to go potty too and now wished he had gone. At that point it was too late, and we started walking towards the starting line.

The Race and Watching Runners. I was looking at this race as another long run, so I started at a very easy 11 min./mile pace. It's been a week since I last ran, so I wasn't sure how my foot was going to feel.


The course was mostly flat, except for the segment going through the Amphitheater. Other than that part, it was a fast course as it wound through a suburban sports park and healthcare center complex.

We couldn't ask for better weather. It was cloudy and around 39 degrees. The course was not crowded at all, but it was so quiet! Everyone seemed to be plugged into their iPods. There was a DJ stationed along the route which was nice - I think he was cranking out some 80s song that totally pumped up The Hubs. We must have been obnoxious to some runners around us while we belted out "You Give Love A Bad Name," pumping our fists in the air.

Nothing says "Happy Valentine's Day" more than a log carrying guy in a gas mask.

We passed by this pair of guys who carried logs of all things! One guy had on a gas mask. I wanted to ask what it was for but didn't get to. Their costumes definitely did not scream "Happy Valentine's Day."

There were a couple of older runners there with Garmin watches, and I was so enamoured by their spirit, strength and by the fact that they're running a 14K! They're not fast, but they're smiling and looking like they're having a great time! I grew up watching grandparents sit around a lot, stay at home most of the time, not doing much, so whenever I see an older runner, I can't help but think, "I want to keep running at that age..."

At around Mile 6, we noticed this kid. I'm like, "what's a kid doing on a 14K course?" Turns out he's 12 years old, and I tried to keep up with him. Gosh he made it look so easy. Sadly, I couldn'tkeep up. Geez. Well more power to him!


Running With The Hubs. I had a blast running with The Hubs, what can I say. At one point, The Hubs realized, "wow, we're only at Mile 3?" I reminded him, "Ummm, we are running at my pace...Sorry, I know that by this time, you would be at Mile 6/7, but hey, at least we are getting our money's worth by being on the course longer!" Yes, at this point, The Hubs was jogging, even running backwards at one point, taking pictures of me. I think I even caught him walking fast next to me. I was like, "oh, come on...it's a race, get a little more cardio than that." He was such a hoot!

Around Mile 4 or 5

At around Mile 4, I needed to GU. The Hubs? No GU for him unless it's a half marathon distance. He did grab some water on the way, but he never carries any water on him, and like I said, unless it's a half marathon distance. When we came to this trail lined with lamp posts, I started to do some fartleks! I know, weird! I think it was the GU.

By Mile 6, I could tell The Hubs REALLY needed to pee. He'd been eye-ing the woods in the distance, but he didn't want me to lose time by waiting around for him. So we started scoping out porto-potties up ahead. When we got to the part of the course where it looped around a small pond, we noticed porto-potties about 3/4 of a mile ahead. I told The Hubs to go for it. So he peeled away and sprinted to the potties. Later, he told me his pace was around 6:15 - 6:20! Runners around him must've been like, "wow, he REALLY needed to go badly!" It's no surprise that by the time I got to the potties, he was done and I was going at a 9:40 pace! I mean, really? Am I THAT slow?

Around Mile 7.5, he started reading off all the cheesy Valentine "pick up lines" signs like "If I had a nickel for every time I met someone as beautiful girl as you, I'd only have a nickel."

Yeah..

I had to think about that for a minute.  Or is it just me that didn't get it the first time?  They were THAT cheesy, but The Hubs reading them to me kept me occupied, because at that point, my calves were starting to twitch. Ugh. I was having flash backs of my first half marathon when my right calf locked up on me with just 0.20 miles left to go to the finish. So when my calf started twitching ferociously, I slowed to a walk. Guess that's what happens when you don't run for a week! Or maybe I needed to drink some Gatorade.  I was clearly having a hard time.
 

Sherry Arnold.  As I tried to shake off my legs, I saw a runner run past us with the Sherry Arnold Virtual Run bib, and I started thinking of her smiling down at all the people around the world running in memory of her today.  It's what she would want us to do to remember her.  I didn't know Sherry, but as a fellow mom and runner, what happened to her shook me to the core and made me angry and sad.  Thinking of her gave me strength.

As if on cue, The Hubs coached me back to a jog. "Shorten your stride, land flat on your feet, not your midfoot/forefoot. Count with me, 1-2-3,1-2-3...." And boy did the counting helped! I focused on that a lot until we were running back up to a 10:30 pace.  We came into a headwind around Mile 8. Like the gentleman that he is, The Hubs shielded me from the wind and ran right in front of me. What a sweet guy! I caught a second wind at this point as my calf started to feel a bit better.  Yeah, this is for you, Sherry!

Smiling after our finish line beer

Newlywed Roadkill. Around Mile 8.5 with only 0.2 miles to go, we caught sight of the newlyweds. Yup. A couple got married during the race on Lover's Lane (Mile 6). The bride had a veil, white running skirt, shirt, and the groom even had on a black coat which he ended up carrying - can't remember whether he wore a pair of shorts or not. The Hubs egged me on, "Come on, Marie, let's go pass the newlyweds, COME ON!!" Roadkill the newlyweds??! It sounded so mean, but before I could say that to him, I found myself picking up the pace with The Hubs following suit, and sure enough, we passed them. We sprinted inside The Field House towards the indoor finish line.

The Finish. There were cheers from the spectators, and I was all smiles until I realized, hey, wait, they're cheering for the newlyweds! But it was all that we needed to finish strong, hand in hand, still very much in love, the big cheese balls that we are. haha! We talked about doing the Tango across the finish line, but we forgot!

Oh and I almost forgot to add. So right at that moment when we approached the finish line, for a second I thought about sprinting hard so that just this once, I could say I finished BEFORE The Hubs. Well imagine my disbelief when we got our official time:

Mine: 1:31:51
The Hubs': 1:31:50

Sigh. Maybe next time!

Post-race fun at The Field House

Post-Race Fun. It was really nice to finish indoors. We got our medals, a nice drinking glass (which was hard to hold when you've got gloves on), gatorade, water, and some post-run power bar of some sort.  A nice touch was getting a nice carnation from a firefighter.  (teehee - big smile)  I had an armful of stuff, and I wished I had a bag to put them all in. I heard way too many drinking glasses crashing in smithereens on the concrete floor.

Finish line swag

As we got our well-earned beer, The Field House was starting to get crowded. Runners were stretching, camping out on the floor with beers at hand, and it felt hot in there. We got to a line for burritos. Burritos for post-race food? It wasn't ideal, but I was starving at that point so it wasn't too bad. They had a band playing The Cure's Just Like Heaven and a few runners dancing around.

This is a race I will definitely do again with The Hubs. It was a lot of fun and it was so worth it for the swag, the medal, the course, and for the superb organization and coordination by J&A Racing. 

Back of medal of of the charm "Live, Love, Run"

Leap Year Virtual Run Race Re-Cap

Date:  February 29, 2012

Race:  Leap Year Virtual Run Race by Life As A Running Mom

Distance:  2.9 miles

Time:  29:57

Thanks to Life As A Running Mom for hosting my first virtual race of the year!  I've been looking forward to this race because not only was it a fun way to spend the extra day, but I also got to race in my Saucony Hattoris for the first time!

My time wasn't stellar, I've run a faster 5K than that, but that's ok.  I've been very cautious lately, running at a much slower pace, because I'm afraid PF will strike again, and I can't have PF with my half marathon in 2 weeks!  So I took off slow, but found myself going 8:45 at one point on my first mile, so I reeled myself back to a slower pace.  I did that at every mile, making sure I was not going too fast.  Is it the Hattoris that make me want to go fast?  Who knows.  Couldn't help but wonder what my pace would've been if I didn't have to reel myself in.  I'm just so scared about my PF getting worse 2 weeks before my half marathon!  But finding those paces in my Garmin and feeling good while running at those paces really had me intrigued.  (Patience, Marie, patience...)

I have to admit, I felt very free running in my Hattoris - like a kid running without a care in the world.  I'm really looking forward to running in them more, once I build up more miles in them.

I'm not sure why I picked a hilly course for this virtual race, but then again, it's so hard to avoid hills around here.  I had a blast, though!  Felt really good!  Thank you, Life As A Running Mom!  Check out her blog post to see who the winners are for this fun virtual race!

(Note:  I was not compensated in any way by Saucony for this mini review of their Hattoris.  I bought these pair of Hattoris myself and my opinions of them, thus far, are my own.)

Three Things (Plus One) Thursday: Craptastic Photos of My New Running Skirts & Shirts!

I LOVE getting new running clothes.  I admit, I'd rather go out and buy myself a new running skirt than a regular skirt.  I only run in running skirts and for a 10-11 min/miler runner girl like me, I want to at least look cute in my turtle pace.  

Ok, before I share my new purchases, I just want to say that I'm horrible at taking pics of myself.  Not only does it feel weird to take pics of myself, the pics never come out well.  So ignore the dirty mirror....I don't look as tan as these photos show, but at least you can see my new Running Skirts and new C9 Target tech shirts, I hope!

Outfit #1 (below) - This is one of two outfits that I might wear to my next race, the Rock 'N Roll USA Half in DC on St. Patrick's Day.  It doesn't scream Leprechaun green, but it IS a lime green shirt and there is some lime green on the skirt.  I've always wanted this skirt, the Mums Midnight Running Skirt, and I just got around to buying it.  RunningSkirts.com has them on sale now (awesome deal), but I got mine at RunningWarehouse.com for a great deal too!  What do you think?

 

Outfit #2 (below) - Another outfit that I could wear to my St. Patrick's Day RnR Half.  Same shirt and the skirt is from RunningSkirts.com, the Azure Dot Running Skirt, another favorite skirt that I was so happy to discover on sale.  What do you think of this one compared to Outfit #1 above?  My favorite black Zensah sleeves are kinda harsh against these spring colors, but I need to wear them for my races. 

Outfit #3 (below) - C9 tech shirts from Targets rule!  Not only were they $9- a piece, they're comfortable too!  I scored this shirt right after I bought the skirts and I couldn't believe how well the colors go.  I have horrible Photoshopping skills, so the shirt color is a little off, but trust me, it matches the blue on the skirt.  LOVE bargains!

Outfit #4 (below) - I call this my Barney shirt, another awesome find from Target.  I love bright colors and this shirt, again....how can I refuse when it goes so well with my Mums Midnight Running Skirt?  The color is a little more Barney than I wanted it to be - I think the skirt has more of a Violet color than this Barney color, but they complement each other well, I think.  I love matching inexpensive tops to not-so-inexpensive bottoms and vice versa....and I love how versatile this Mums Midnight skirt is!  I can create 5 outfits out of this skirt (purple, blue, lime green, black, and gray shirts to go with it!).  It's my new favorite skirt!  

So there you have it, my girly girl Three Things (plus one) Thursday of my new spring-y and summer-y running outfits.  :P  I can picture The Hubs just rolling his eyes at this post, hahaha!!

I could use some feedback....what do you think for St. Patty's RnR Half in DC - Outfit #1 or #2?  Have you bought new running clothes lately?  Or any new running gear?  Please share!!



(Note:  I bought these items myself.  I was not compensated in any way by RunningSkirts.com, Target, Zensah, or RunningWarehouse.com to write this post.  All opinions are my own)

Wordless Wednesday: Ode to My Hattori's

 

 

 

Day 1 With Saucony Hattori

 Do you like my new pair of pink running shoes?  I decided on this color for fun and, being in an all-boy house, I needed to have something pink and girly.

I love getting new running gear.  I bought a pair of these Saucony Hattori's back in January when the Running Warehouse had a huge sale.  For $30-, I could not resist.  I've wanted to explore and try minimalist running shoes and after running in Saucony Kinvaras for 7 months now (and loving it),  the Hattori's were a natural progression for me, and the timing price-wise could not have been more perfect.  So I'm going from a 4mm heel to toe lift (Kinvaras) to now 0mm (Hattori's).

I thought this would be a great time to start getting used to running in these Hattori's because I'm currently coaching a Couch-to-5k running group 3x a week.  We are on Week 4, Day 1 of the C25k plan, and the jog/ walk ratio is the perfect pace for me to slide into these shoes gradually.  My goal is to run the 5k race in March in these shoes.  I won't be going at race pace, since I'll be cheering my running group at their pace, but I'm hoping it would be a safe intro to running races in them.  I can't wait!

Why am I trying the Hattori's?  I'm so tired of getting injured!!  Currently I have PF (plantar fasciitis).  Again.  It's frustrating especially when you have a 14k race this weekend.  Argh.  Reading Christopher McDougall's Born To Run definitely pushed me into this direction to try minimalist shoes.  So I'm willing to try these out especially if it would mean less (or no) injuries!  I'm going to stick with my Kinvaras for the longer/faster runs, and use these Hattori's only for my C25k runs for now.  So excited!

I had to use the Shoe Fitr over at the Running Warehouse to figure out my size.  I wear a Size 7.5 in the Kinvaras and according to the Shoe Fitr, I'm an 8.5 in Hattori's so they run small.  I really like the fit.  It fits like a sock.  It's not constricting or tight at all, and I have wide feet.  They're meant to be worn without socks which I was a bit nervous about because I blister easily, but there are no seams inside the shoe.  So far so good.  In my first run today in them, they felt comfortable.  It felt like I was running in slippers!  

Do you wear minimalist running shoes?  Which ones and how do you like them?  Or are you interested in trying out these type of shoes?  

(Note:  I bought these Hattori's and was not compensated in any way to blog about them.  Thoughts about them are my own only).

2012 Running Streak: Day 4 - Is It The End, Already?

I'm staring out at our street and wondering if I could get in just 1 mile in today for my Streak.  The hubs is not home yet, it's almost 5pm and it's getting dark out.  This is when a "dreadmill" is looking really really really good right now.

I FINALLY got back to my exercise class this morning (oh, am I going to be sore tomorrow!) after 1 whole month of not going.  I had planned on sneaking off to the side to run my 1 mile around the perimeter of the gym, but I chickened out, thinking it would be rude to do my own thing all of a sudden in front of everybody.  This is not your ordinary gym with equipment like a dreadmill (oh, I wish!).  It's really just an indoor basketball court.  


I thought about parking my minivan in my driveway, windows cracked a little, engine on, to keep Dozer, my 4 y.o., warm, strapped in his carseat and plugged in front of the car TV screen, watching Tom & Jerry for the 146th time - while I sneak in my 1 mile, running 10 laps around my culdesac.  


But I didn't.


Go sign up for a gym membership already, you would say, right?  I know.  I should.  I'm so cheap.  I don't even like running on the dreadmill, and I have 2 awesome FREE exercise classes that I go to 2x out of the week where I can bring Dozer to play with the other moms' kids!  Exercise class and playdate all in one and free.  How can I say no to that?  


I think this means I NEED to buy a dreadmill for days like today (AHEM - wonder if the hubs is reading this).  Not that I would be streaking all year (though I have thought of it), but it makes sense.  It would be a great investment.  No excuses.


Hmm....Darn.  Should have asked Santa for a dreadmill.


Do you have a dreadmill treadmill?  Which one would you recommend?    

2012 Running Streak: Day 3 - Wind-Swept

What a blustery day!  The air temp was just 30 deg. but with the wind it felt like 18deg.!  When it's this cold I usually obsess the night before what i should wear.  The sun was out so I layered with a long sleeve tech tee, a pullover fleece on top of that, and finally my Salomon Fast Wing Hoody II Jacket, (no worries, this is NOT an affiliate link) one of the best running gear purchases I've made and one of my favorites!  It's a very light weight jacket that's wind AND water resistant.  It kept me comfortable and warm in my run this morning!  I highly recommend it!  

After my first two not-so-great runs of the new year, I was relieved to finally be able to run past 2 miles this morning (3.5 miles) without huffing and puffing and feeling like crap.  My pace was slower, but it helped me ease into my run and get into a rhythm.  I knew I was going too fast yesterday and Sunday!  

Well, I'm happy and mostly relieved that I'm coming around because today's run starts off my half marathon training for The Carefirst Rock N Roll USA Half Marathon in mid-March!  Yeah!  

Anyone else running this race too?

Three Things Thursday: All I Want For Mother's Day....

The hubs and the boys already gave me an early Mother's Day gift - the gift of letting me race this Mother's Day weekend.  This Saturday, I am running the Manassas Runway 10K - it's an inaugural race on the airport runway!  How cool is that?!!  No hills, flat, AND I just found out last week they give out medals to all finishers!

I'm excited, a little nervous (because of the pressure I have deep down on myself to PR), but I couldn't ask for a better Mother's Day gift - it was a race that the hubs wanted to run too (he hasn't run a 10K race yet), but in the end let me do it since it is Mother's Day weekend after all.

So I'm all set for Mother's Day....but I was daydreaming this morning and thought, ohhhh....I wouldn't mind having THESE too....lol!

Garmin 210

1.  GARMIN 210.  I feel like I'm not worthy of one yet since I'm not really working on speed yet, just piling on the mileage, but oh what a neat gadget!  Love that with a quick glance, I know what my instantaneous pace is and how many miles I've covered so far.  LOVE!!

2.  Running Outfits:  Running Skirts and matching RunLove Compression Socks.  OK, I know that's 4 things but I couldn't decide which one I liked best.  I run in nothing else but running skirts and these skirts are just a few of my favorites...oh and I want all 4 of those socks.  :D

3.  Water-resistant Spi-belt.  For those less than 1 hour runs.  I have an arm-band but prefer putting my cell phone in a pocket or a pack and I've been wanting one of these since they're so light, not bulky, AND water-resistant.  (UPDATE: In light of Katie's comment below, ok, I wouldn't mind having a Fuel Belt too with the water bottles for those more than 1 hour runs (thanks, girl!) - I don't know which kind yet, not sure how many bottles I'd want, and I would like one with a pouch for cell, GU, etc.!)  :)

So that's my Three Things (more like  7 I guess) for Thursday.  A mom can dream, right?  Well if not for Mother's Day, birthday, Christmas....Do any of you have any of the above?  What do you think of them?

Three Things Thursday: Celebrations

This girl's been so BUSY over here, and there's so much to blog about!  I feel horrible about giving an "in an nutshell" blog post, but it's going to have to be that - a synopsis - a should-have-been-3-separate-blog-posts, instead, condensed into my three things for Thursday:

 I WON!

 
I was one of 3 winners from Another Mother Runner's Video Contest!  I made a short video on how "I Run Like A Mother."  I got the pink running hat on the right and I LOVE it!  Can't wait to wear it on my next run!  If you haven't seen my little vid yet, check it out below!  ;)

I RAN for the first time in a month since my injury!

No walking, no jogging!  Ran 3 miles last Saturday and another 3 miles Monday!  It feels SO GOOD to be back to running again!  So grateful for my Physical Therapists for helping me out and so thankful I am finally healed (knock-on-wood).  In addition to graduating from Physical Therapy, I had an epiphany last weekend.  After another frustrating attack of plantar fasciitis on my left foot towards the end of my first 10K race, I finally took the time to google "arch pain and running shoes."  I was so ready to go back to Saucony Pro-grid Ride shoes (my first pair of running shoes) since they never gave me issues, but I really did not want to go back to traditional running shoes.  (Yes, I'm stubborn).  Well, can you believe I figured out the cause of my PF?  My left shoe is too big for my left foot!  When I doubled my socks on my left foot, I felt no pain!  Yay!  It worked on the 2 days I ran 3 miles.  So excited!  I am just hoping and praying I'm finally on the road to running again with no injuries.  Yay!

MY BOYS GOT STRAIGHT A's and S+'s!!!!

Proud Momma moment!  My boys brought home amazing report cards!  Cannot help but be proud of them, of course!

Thanks for "celebrating" with me!  I still need to post a Part II to my first 10K race.  I will be able to come up for air more and blog more once this week is over.

Running With No Music

I forgot my ear buds at my sister's house last weekend!  I wanted to go out for my first run today since the Monument Av 10K race last week.  Last week was tough for me - the hubs was out of town for business, I couldn't get a run in, so today I felt so done.  I NEED to run.

I was so desperate to start feeling better about everything that I ventured out without music.  I refused the hub's offer to borrow his headphones because I just wanted to get out right away.  Forget SI Joint Dysfunction, forget ITBS, forget plantar fasciitis.  I'm so over being injured.  I need a break away from the kids.  I'm going for a run.  I left the boys with the hubs around 6:30pm.  The hubs gave me this look like, "what about dinner?" and I just had to leave.  I'm so done.  I felt kinda bad afterwards for not telling the hubs ahead of time what I was going to do and to leave him trying to figure out dinner.  Yeah, that was bad.

I did my usual 5K out and back to Victor Lane.  I started slow and steady.  It was a cloudy and the skies threatened rain, but I didn't care.  For the first time, I heard the little brook that went under the same running path I take every week.  It was neat to hear the water jump over the rocks.  I heard birds trying to get away from the darkening skies.  I could hear my running shoes hitting the pavement in a rhythm with my breathing.  For the first time since I started running, I felt more relaxed, at ease.  I didn't feel as hurried by a fast beat, or feel the pressure to run fast to music.  I ran as fast and as slow as my body wanted, and it felt good! 

The other thing I discovered today was my left running shoe is a wee bit bigger for my left foot!  When I doubled up on socks on my left foot, I didn't feel any arch pain!  YAY! 

It was a great run today.  I didn't stop to walk or to jog.  I listened to my body and just ran.  Do you run with music?  Have you tried running without music?  Give it a try!  It's not as scary as it seems.  I was distracted by everything around me to feel burdened by the miles.  I actually like running without music now.  Helps clear my head.  If I ever need to focus on something I want to hear, I play a song in my head, and it works just fine.  Try it!

Three Things Thursday!

Hat

Outfit

Gear

Every Thursday before a weekend race, I start obsessing over what to wear.  The Ukrop's Monument Av 10K race is an "away" race, and a huge part of me wants to pack everything I've been considering, just in case I change my mind.  Again.  Like as I am typing this, I am already thinking this ensemble might be too hot.  Might ditch the long sleeve or should I go with white?  Or go with a black skirt?  Black skirts are not "chick-ish" though.  More on this at the end.  Do I really want to bring that Nathan hydration pack or not?  There will be 41,000 runners in this race and I would hate to fight the crowds to get a swig of water - in case it gets hot.  I typically don't bring anything with me when I do 6 miles, BUT.....

You're probably wondering what the heck is with that hat?  It's my chick hat.  My friend and I are dressing up as chicks - and her hubby is the chick magnet.  :P.  Just want to have a little fun at this race since it's going to be insane!!!  Looking forward to it though!  Wish me luck, please.  I'll find out tomorrow at my PT appointment whether I can go on a full out jog (though I'd rather run) on this race!

Another Chance to Skirt!

You know that I skirt and love to skirt.  It is the only thing I will wear when I run, even in cooler temps, because you can always layer under it with capris or tights.  They're also a lot of fun to wear!

Thanks to Mom Vs. Marathon who posted this on her Facebook page, there is another chance to win a running (or athletic or tri-) skirt from Runningskirts.com!  Head over to Long Legs On the Loose's blog and read more about how you can win a running skirt! 

Good luck!

I Skirt. Do You Skirt or Want to Skirt?

I only run in skirts.  I love the freedom it gives me, no fabric riding up the front and the back.  Skirts make me feel more girly and flirty.

Do you skirt or want to skirt?  Head over to the Setting You Free blog to win a running skirt!  Hurry!  Deadline for a chance to win is 11:59EST tonight!

It IS love. His and hers Nike Free Run+s for Valentines

IN LOVE with our Nike Free Run+ shoes....and with each other of course...sigh.

Yes, we're cheesy dorks like that.  Instead of the usual Valentines dinner or chocolates or flowers, my husband and I got each other new pairs of running shoes.  So romantic, right?

I cannot say enough about my new shoes! (No, not the Nike Air Pegasus ones.  More below)  LOVE my Nike Free Run+!  I was vacillating between Saucony Pro-Grid Guides and New Balance 860s when my husband remarked, "wow, it's like you're wearing platform shoes."  For some reason, I didn't feel like I was on platforms until I stepped out of them and down an inch I went.  Wow.  "You should check out these Nike Free Run+ shoes."

First thought was "ooo, LOVE the black color. Very stylish, very me."  I pictured myself in a matching cute black running skirt..... But wait, are they comfortable for my running?  They look too stylish.

Lucky for me, my local DSW store has them in stock AND they were on sale, to boot!!!  Nothing like a good sale to make it that much sweeter.  But are they comfortable enough for running?  I had to focus on that a lot.

I was crushed when I found out they do not come in wide widths.  Darn wide feet again.  So I went up half a size and was lifted up again because they felt SO COMFORTABLE.  Like heavenly comfortable.  Not too high off the ground, but not too low, enough cushion for me but not too much.  I must have looked crazy running up and down the aisles of the store - it's one thing if it was a running store.  My gut definitely said "this is it."  Compared to the Nike Air Pegasus shoes, the Frees felt better.

Walking away with my Nike Free Run+ from DSW made me feel like I'm cheating on my running store.  The Saucony's they ordered for me STILL hasn't come in and I'm dying to run.  I couldn't wait and then of course, I meet another running shoe....

In the end, as a consumer, I got over it.  Running shoes are not cheap especially if you need to replace them every 6 months.  So thinking about that made me get over the guilt pretty quickly.  I can't wait to run in them soon!  YAY! 

p.s. The hubs just pointed this out to me.  In our shoes' pic above, the shadow of our heads together create a heart.  LOL!  Nothing says Happy Valentine's Day more than that, no?

Shopping for Running Shoes Take 2

After another frustrating call to my running store to find that my shoes STILL has not come in, I took matters into my own hands and went to another store.  DSW store of all places.  I must have tried on every wide width shoe for slightly pronators and neutral runners.  Unfortunately, most of the shoes in the store are medium widths. 

I almost gave up until I found a pair of black Nike Air Pegasus+ that looked like it had a wider toe box.  No wide widths at the store, so I picked up a half size larger and lo and behold they fit and they feeeeeeel good!  I ran around the store to test them out.  Crossing my fingers they work out.  Grateful for DSW's return policy.  Giddy over new running shoes! :)